Naomi's Second Chance
by Code 401
Summary: "I would have chosen to stay in Mistilteinn, even if it killed me." Just as Naomi was about to resign herself to fate, a miracle happens and she reunites with the Parasites of Plantation 13 to join in the fight against the Klaxosaurs. Everything seems to be going as well as she can imagine, but will this new partner of hers turn out to be too much to handle?
1. Second Chance

Desert.

Desert, desert, and more desert.

The maroon sandscape stretched on for miles, reaching into the horizon in all directions. Isolated bluffs and rock formations were the only features that broke the monotony.

A lone vehicle tore across this arid land at high speed. It was a futuristic-looking truck, dull grey in colour, equipped with reinforced bumpers and other sturdy implements. Its massive wheels kicked up the parched sand and created a streak of reddish-brown dust in its wake.

Inside the rear of the truck, two rows of seats lined facing each other in a passenger compartment. A lone figure sat on one side, rocking along to the truck's jerking movements. He was clad from head to toe in combat gear; Black torso armour complemented black combat boots and greaves. His metallic grey helmet obscured his face up to his chin, rendering his expression unreadable. A standard-issue assault rifle was propped up on the seat beside him. His left chest and shoulder was soaked in a dark red liquid, and the left cheek of his mask also had a prominent blood-like smear.

From the distance, a large structure began to loom into view. The massive, man-made object stood out from its surroundings with its near-perfect domed shape and pale white facade. The lone soldier stared vaguely at it through a viewport on the side. Edges, walkways, windows, cannons, and other details could be made out as the transport vehicle got closer.

He had arrived back in Plantation 17, otherwise known as Centaurea.

* * *

The soldier stood at attention, rifle in one hand. He had disembarked from the troop carrier and was presently inside one of the many vast hangars of the Plantation facility. Before him was a stern-looking middle-aged man in military uniform, ostensibly superior in rank.

"Do you have it?"

"Yes, sir. Package is secured." The soldier held out a small oblong object. It resembled a memory storage device.

"Excellent work. Papa will be very pleased." The officer took the datastick from his subordinate. What information the device held exactly mattered not to either of them; as far as they were concerned the item was nothing more than a retrieval objective.

He glanced briefly at the empty troop carrier which stood a short distance away.

"How many Klaxosaurs were there this time?" He asked.

"At least six, all Conrad-class. They jumped us while we were awaiting extraction. I took care of the last one before the area was finally deemed clear for evac."

"And what of the casualties?"

This was a rhetorical question as best. Prior missions have rarely ever concluded any differently from this one.

"Eleven KIA." The reply came vacantly. "Aside from me, SL-9772 had also survived the attack. I attempted to stabilize but he succumbed to his injuries before the transport arrived."

 _That explains the bloodstains on his body_ , the officer quietly mused. "And what about you?"

"Vitals normal, sir."

The middle-aged man snorted slightly, riffling his handlebar mustache. "Just as always, huh?"

He withdrew a holoscreen projector from his pocket and activated it.

"Among our division, very few personnel have ever survived past their second deployment." He spoke, studying the profile document displayed on his handheld device. "And yet here you are, back from mission number eight with hardly a scratch on you, once again being either the only one, or among the very few, to survive."

The younger man stood motionless, not saying a word.

"State your ID, trooper."

"Sir, TX-8315, sir."

"No, not that one," The officer retorted. He leaned forwards and brought his face close to the soldier's mask, eyes gazing piercingly through the visor to meet his inferior's own.

His voice lowered in a somber growl. "I know exactly what you are. All of Command does, ever since we began to take notice of you after your third assignment. Your tenacity to stay alive and unpredictable demeanor doesn't exactly help you to blend in either."

The soldier remained unflinchingly static.

"You're from Batch #57. The transfers from the Garden."

Still no reaction.

"Rather, I suppose 'washouts' would be a more appropriate term." The officer straightened up and about-faced, walking a few paces away.

"Whatever it is, what I mean to say is that you go by a different set of numbers, or at least you used to."

He turned around again, but this time his stoic expression betrayed something of a begrudging smile. "And you best remember what those numbers are, because fortunately for you you've been garnering a fair bit of attention from all the right people. People who recognize your potential to be more than just a nameless statistic in the death toll. And much as we at Spec Ops value your ability and wish to exploit it further till your deferred but ultimately inevitable demise, a request has come in from a certain Dr. Franxx, accompanied by the blessings of Papa himself."

There was a dramatic emphasis on the last statement. The middle-aged man paused, scrutinizing his subordinate intensely. If TX-8315 possessed any semblance of happy emotion within him, he was doing a very good job of concealing it in mute stillness.

"A special vacancy has been opened up for you, Code _yon-zero-ichi_."

The trooper balked visibly at last. It was the first in a long time that he heard that name.

The officer could not help but smirk.

"Are you ready for the chance to prove your potential as a Parasite once more?"

* * *

"Yes."

Her answer was firm, absolute. It echoed throughout the vacant room, bouncing off its pallid sanitized walls.

The past few weeks have been rough on Naomi. The rogue Klaxosaur attack on Cerasus on the day of its Parasite welcoming ceremony had left her severely but not fatally injured. Since then, she had been spending several listless days in this bleak hospital ward.

Her wounds have had plenty of time to heal during this period. She no longer needed that cursed bandage wrapped around her head, and the bones in her legs had mended well enough so that she could walk properly again, although there was one part of her which she knew would never revert back to its original condition.

No existing form of medication, however, could ever cure the hurt that she felt inside. Every waking minute in here had been mired with misery. The failed synchronization tests, the forlorn expressions of her peers, the self-serving words Hiro had spoken to her, those flashbacks played over and over again in her head, and she felt the same heavy feeling of grief and emptiness that had accompanied each and every one of them. The worst part was knowing that it had nothing to do with her, it was nothing she had any control over. Despite how far she had come, despite all the effort she had put in, she was still going to end up no better than the ones who had disappeared one by one from the orphanage. All because she pulled the short straw and got paired up with the wrong partner.

She did not know where the others had gone, where she would be taken once she had recovered, but she did not care. Her entire life in the Garden and then in Mistilteinn had been devoted to the purpose of fulfilling a sole mission, the only one she had ever known. Now that she was deemed no longer capable of doing so, it was as though her spirit had drifted away together with her life's purpose. Frankly, she would rather have died that day than survived.

Or so she thought.

It was as though Papa himself had somehow observed her anguish from up above and sympathized with her, sending down an angelic herald in the form of a woman wearing the standard black and grey APE uniform. She stood at Naomi's bedside, tablet in hand, delivering news that she never imagined she would hear.

Besides Delphinium, Argentea, Genista, and Chlorophytum, Cerasus actually possessed one more FRANXX. It was configured especially to accommodate Naomi as a pistil, and would have been meant for her and Hiro to pilot. Though it has since been mothballed, another Parasite had recently been singled out as a potential candidate suitable to join Plantation 13. It would seem that Dr. Franxx considers the last FRANXX crucial to his interests, and as such has requested for her to undergo another round of harmonization trials with this new arrival once she was fully recovered.

Naomi underwent a complete U-turn of emotions. Never was she this thankful to be alive. Her deepest desires have been inscrutably brought into reality. It was a miracle, a gift that she would be insane not to accept. Being in Mistilteinn with all her friends and living up to the task she was made up for meant everything to her, even if it would get her killed.

A second chance like this will never appear again for the rest of her life. Nothing must go wrong this time.

She sat upright on her bed, hazel-brown eyes burning with resolve as she stared at the officer.

"Yes. I'll be ready when the time comes." She promised out loud.

There will be no more failure. She will prove her worth, no matter what.

 _And I won't let anything or anyone, not even my Partner, get in my way,_ she promised to herself.

 **A/N: Someone needs to tell whoever manages the series titles on this website that it's FRANXX and not FRANKXX.**


	2. Shoichi

Morale was at an all-time high for the Parasites of Plantation 13.

The chaos at Mistilteinn that created a rift between the boys and the girls had been peacefully resolved. Though they were initially at loggerheads, both genders came to develop a mutual appreciation and learnt the importance of understanding each other in order to survive. They grew through their issues together, strengthened their bonds, and renewed their collective desire to work with and look out for one another.

On top of that, it had only been just a few days ago that the children received their yearly presents from Papa. His words of praise and congratulations to them, as recited by Zorome, still resonated deeply in their minds. Though it was a regular enough affair, this annual token of benevolence enabled them to appreciate the gratitude towards them for constantly putting their lives on the line to protect the adults. It helped them reaffirm their purpose of existence.

Even Zero Two appeared to be of good cheer. She thoroughly enjoyed getting mixed up in the fiasco, and had received a thoughtful gift from her Darling so as not to feel left out. Though she was in every single way one apart from the others, over the past few days it seemed as though she had gotten closer to the rest of the squad. The other Parasites still kept their distance, but they were gradually also beginning to acknowledge the integral role she played as part of the team.

Currently, everybody stood assembled in the briefing room, rapt at attention, ready as ever to slay some more Klaxosaurs in the name of their beloved Papa. Standing before them in front of the holoscreen display were their caretakers, Hachi and Nana.

"We've confirmed the presence of a Gutenberg-class Klaxosaur at a distance approximately 2,000 units from here," Hachi explained.

"It's moving slowly, but judging from its course, we predict that it will make contact with the Plantation," Said Nana. "We must avoid a repeat of the previous attack at all costs."

"Yes, ma'am!" Chorused everyone.

"The target is a long way away this time. Your units have thus been loaded with more fuel than usual, so make note of that." Nana paused briefly, then continued in a lighter tone of voice. "Also, seeing as the threat level at present is relatively low, it's been decided that these conditions are optimal to conduct a live combat field test."

The children looked confused at this unexpected news. They were a relatively seasoned squad with numerous battles to their name. What more testing needed to be done? They wondered.

Nana's serious expression broke into a serene grin.

"What I mean to say is, a new FRANXX unit is slated to join Squad 13. We intend to use this mission to evaluate its fighting abilities."

There was a collective "Huh?!" from the Parasites.

"We're going to have new teammates?" Ikuno asked disbelievingly.

"Hmm, I suppose 'new' isn't the most accurate term." Nana made a pondering gesture of putting a finger against her chin. She quietly savoured the reaction that was to come next.

"After all, I'm sure you kids are already very familiar with one of the pilots in particular."

The briefing room door slid open with a loud hiss, drawing everybody's attention. A girl stepped through, clad in the same skintight bodysuit the other pistils were wearing, except hers featured bright yellow accents. She reached the bottom of the entranceway ramp and greeted everybody with a soft smile, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Long time no see, you guys."

All the other Parasites recognized her immediately.

"NAOMI!" They cried, rushing forward to meet her. Miku, sobbing uncontrollably, got there first and enveloped Naomi in a tight embrace, nearly bowling her over in the process.

"We missed you so much!" She wailed in between sobs.

"We were so worried that we'd never see you again," Kokoro added, just behind her.

"Miku... I can't breathe," Naomi protested weakly.

Nevertheless, she didn't let go either. She missed them all immensely too. To finally be reunited with her friends again after so long was an indescribable feeling. She was beside herself with bliss.

Ichigo and Ikuno stood nearby, beaming warmly. "I'm so glad you could join us again," Ikuno said. "Really, I am."

"Yeah, me too," Naomi replied, wiping her eyes.

"How are your injuries? Are you feeling okay?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm all right now, thanks for asking. Never been better in fact." She gently pried herself away from Miku, who was still a crying mess, and went to hug the other girls.

The boys looked on from a respectable distance away, happy and relieved as well, save for Mitsuru who appeared disaffected as usual. Hiro, in particular, felt comfort mixed with a pang of guilt. It was a bittersweet moment for him. While he was glad to know that his former partner was alive and well, the sight of her reminded him of his initial failure of being unable to synchronize with her. Though he was in a much better place now that he was paired with Zero Two, he could not help but think back on the destitute times when he felt so powerless, futile, fettered like a flightless bird.

As Naomi hugged Ichigo, her eyes briefly met Hiro's. With hesitation, he flashed her a reconciling grin.

She stared back reprehensibly at first. For that brief second, it was as though the same thoughts were crossing their minds. Eventually she mellowed, and returned a wan smile before looking away.

Zero Two, who had not moved at all from her position near the back of the room, looked on with detachment. Her teeth clicked idly against the lollipop in her mouth as she shifted her view from the celebratory crowd clustered at the bottom of the ramp to the disregarded figure who had been standing at the door the entire time.

"Ah, that's right," Goro said, turning to look at Hachi and Nana. "If Naomi is rejoining us as a Pistil, who will be her Stamen?"

"That would be that guy over there, wouldn't it?" Mitsuru interjected impassively. He jerked his head towards the entrance, arms crossed in disinterest.

Everybody diverted their attention to where he indicated and noticed the other arrival at last.

A tall, lean youth clad in the standard dark-coloured stamen bodysuit stared back at them with narrow, alert blue eyes. He sported a crew cut of short black hair combed over to the left, and his stance was stiff and ramrod straight, ostensibly seasoned by a lengthy military upbringing. His face was slim and slightly tanned, and relaxed in a serious grimace that seemed to take after Hachi's natural look.

As he cast a glance around the people around him, his vision fell briefly upon Miku. She blushed and hastily composed herself, wiping her face with her sleeve and patting down her blouse.

"Yes, that would be him indeed," Nana chimed in. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet our newest incoming Parasite. He started off at the Garden just like all of you, but was transferred out as part of a Vocational Training Programme to join APE's Special Operations Command division, based in Plantation 17."

The young man took his cue, and walked forwards to stand beside the two senior officers. His mannerisms were curt and straightforward. "Henceforth transferred here to Cerasus from Centaurea, I am Code 401. Let's get along," He said simply.

"Code 401 possesses plenty of combat experience, albeit as a soldier on the ground," Hachi explained. "While serving with SOC he's managed to survive numerous Klaxosaur encounters, far greater than is typically expected of his role. Dr. Franxx has regarded his noteworthy performance and recommended him specifically to join Plantation 13. Harmonization trials with Code 703 went smoothly, so though he may be inexperienced as a pilot, we expect him to prove a valuable asset to the team."

"I see," Said Goro. "That certainly sounds reassuring. I look forward to working with you, Code..."

Goro drifted off, chuckling slightly as he just realized something. Code 401 raised an eyebrow.

Zorome quickly caught on. "Hey hey hey, that won't do at all!" He exclaimed. "If you're gonna be a part of us from now on, we gotta get you a name!"

"A name?" Code 401 repeated soberly.

"Yeah, that's right! All of us have got names based on our code numbers, so it's only common sense that you have one as well!" Zorome explained excitedly. He cupped his chin and attempted to get his creative juices flowing. "Hmm, _yon-zero-ichi_ , yon-zero-ichi... Yommaruichi? Yommaruhito? Nah, that's a mouthful..."

Futoshi joined in as well. "Hmm... Shi-Oh-i? Shi-Oh-Hito, maybe?"

"No way, you're making him sound like a salty guy," Said Goro.

"You're thinking with your stomach again aren't you, Futoshi?" Zorome sneered.

"Excuse me," Code 401 cut in, silencing the boys. "But I don't understand. I don't see any reason to have to abide to another set of labels, besides the ones already bestowed upon us."

The children were taken aback.

"Us Parasites are all identified by numbers, aren't we?" Code 401 continued in a matter-of-fact tone. "We're just expendable tools, part of a running serial of production codes purpose-built for a single task. In our line of duty there's an ever-present chance that any of us could go down, only to be replaced by whichever number comes next off the production line. Therefore, for us hold on to something so exclusive to ourselves such as a name seems rather pointless, and frankly silly, to me."

The Parasites widened their eyes in surprise. Irritation flashed on Zorome's face. "The heck didja say?" He snapped, advancing menacingly.

Goro frantically stepped in to mediate. "Calm down, calm down." He turned towards Code 401 and tried to reason with him. "Look, maybe what you say is true, but try to see things in a different way. It's cumbersome to have to refer to each other by code numbers all the time, especially if we're communicating in the middle of battle. Having names helps move things along a lot quicker, don't you think?"

Code 401 looked unconvinced, but stayed silent. Hiro decided to chip in.

"401, if we're going to be working as a team, the least we can do is create a basic sense of harmony in order to function more effectively. Every one of us in this squad has a name, including Naomi. We take pride in our uniqueness and share a certain sense of camaraderie and self-preservation. Calling each other by our names helps keep us motivated to protect ourselves and each other just as much as our Plantation, and I'd like to think that it enables us to fight better with our ragtag assembly. It's what sets us apart and puts us ahead of all the uniform squads belonging to the other Plantations."

He looked round at his squadmates with pride, giving special attention to Zero Two, before adding, "You could even say that this arrangement has been working very well in keeping all of us alive till today. We've never had a need to replace anybody here thus far."

Code 401's expression softened into one of realization. Hiro appeared to have reached a breakthrough.

"Look, the concept of it probably sounds absurd to you and I don't claim to be able to explain it perfectly, but at the very least, why don't you play along for the time being?" He persuaded. "For the sake of simplicity."

"All right," Code 401 relented. "That sounds reasonable."

Hiro sighed in relief. "Great. Now then..." He casting his eyes downward in thought. "Yon-zero-ichi... Shi-o-ichi..."

A few seconds passed before he looked up again and smiled satisfactorily. "I think Shoichi sounds okay."

"Yeah, that does have a natural ring to it!" Futoshi exclaimed.

"Just as we'd expect from Hiro-kun," Kokoro added.

"So be it then. I'll accept that name," Shoichi acceded.

Zorome, still looking pissed off, merely harrumphed.

Nana clapped to get everybody's attention once more.

"All right then, we've taken care of our newcomer's identity, and I know you're all really happy to see Naomi again, but let's get back to the topic at hand, shall we? There will be more time to celebrate once we've dealt with this upcoming threat."

She activated the holoscreen's touch panel and summoned a revolving 3D model of what looked like the frame of a robotic figure. It was undoubtedly a FRANXX, but possessed several features as of yet unseen in any other model.

"I shall now explain more about Plantation 13's fifth FRANXX, henceforth restored to active service and joining our efforts to repel the Klaxosaur attack."

The robotic silhouette on the screen had many facets that stood out distinctly. It was a lot bulkier, for a start. FRANXX typically had long, slender legs with curved faces that ended in hooved or stilettoed feet at the bottom, but this one had calves like large, squarish trunks, fitted with thick rectangular plates on the front that extended upwards to cover the less armoured upper legs. Each wide front-facing foot was complemented by two smaller outrigger stabilizing legs extending from the rear at 45 degrees. Its arms were similarly boxed-shaped, with oversized quadrate spaulders covering the sides of each upper arm down till the wrist. Petal-shaped faulds attached to the hips guarded the sides of the thighs. Its headpiece had a flat glimmering gold U-shaped horn that fanned out dramatically at the ends, flanking a heavyset delta-shaped prong pointing upward at a front angle. Curved planes that narrowed off at the bottom jutted forwards to huddle around the cheeks, protecting its face. A single pale green tendril, wavy at the tip, dangled in front of where its left eye would appear, looking very much like Naomi's default hairstyle. Its torso was the only familiar element, slim and feminine just like most other FRANXX models, and looking rather out-of-place amidst its other hulking features. Ivory white was its primary colour scheme, with bright yellow highlights and stripes on its 'necktie', feet, wrists, the edges of each shoulder and greave plate, and on the rims of its faulds.

"This is Malacothrix, yet another of Dr. Franxx's experimental prototypes, designed with a focus on defensive tactics," Explained Nana. "Originally planned to be operated by Naomi and Hiro, she shall now be piloted by Naomi and Code- I mean, Shoichi. As evident by her thick armour plating, her primary capability lies in countering the offensive power of the enemy and serving as a protective backup for her allies."

An image of an elaborately designed coffin shield expanded on the screen to overlap the FRANXX. White with grey and yellow accents, the blockish bulges, notches, and corners on its surface gave off a modern precision-engineered feel. At its upper area an orange talon-shaped emboss protruded into honed ridges, while the lower half was lined neatly with V-angled heat dispersion vents. Razor-sharp orange blades ran along its tapered bottom edge.

"Her primary armament is 'Stout Embrace', a shield composed of magma energy-based composite material. It is projected to be able to withstand all known Klaxosaur energy projectiles. Wielded mainly as a safeguarding implement, in a pinch Malacothrix can also harness it as a weapon."

Lines labeling various parts began to extend from Malacothrix's diagram. They blossomed into 'CAUTION!' signs and large numbers in red text.

"Of course, her advantages are not without its drawbacks. Owing to the additional weight of her armour, Malacothrix moves at a speed slower than a regular FRANXX. Though she is equipped with rocket boosters on her legs to offset that disadvantage, they are meant primarily for brief spurts of agility, and using them too much will drain her reserves extremely rapidly. Her average fuel consumption rate is high enough as it is. Therefore, the fighting dynamics of the team has to change in order to take full advantage of her abilities."

Nana delivered her concluding statement. "Now, Malacothrix plays a unique role within our unit that is very much different from everybody else's. While the rest of you are focused on bringing the offensive to the enemy, her main role in every mission is to keep up the defence and preserve lives, naturally those of our Plantation, but more chiefly all of yours. This operation will be her first sally and thus the first test of her competencies in live combat, and shall also serve as your initial effort to getting familiar with her abilities. I therefore request that everybody work well with our new unit, revise your battle plans around them, and acquaint them to the team's fighting styles, so that we can all be guaranteed to return home safe and sound at the end of every subsequent deployment to come."

"Yes, ma'am!" The Parasites responded with fervour.

The briefing was adjourned, and everybody began to file out of the briefing room to make their way to the hangar. They marched down the spotless narrow corridor as one big group of black and white outlines. The girls surrounded Naomi, excitedly filling her in on everything she had missed out on while she was gone. Though she had nothing much to offer on her side beside boring anecdotes of her uneventful time in the hospital, being surrounded by her friends and able to speak casually with them again filled her with a genuine warmth.

"The beach, huh?" She mused, upon hearing Kokoro describe their brief R&R which took place recently. "I've never seen it with my own eyes before. I wish I could have been there with you guys."

"It was so much fun," Said Kokoro. "We played in the sea, explored a mysterious place with many broken and abandoned buildings, and roasted food over a fire for dinner."

"We got to wear swimsuits too," Ichigo added wistfully. "It was a nice change of pace for once."

"Yeah, our swimsuits were really cute, weren't they!" Miku chirped. "We should all go to the beach again some time, then we can let you wear one as well, Naomi-chan!"

Naomi felt shy all of a sudden. She instinctively clutched her right arm close to her body. Ikuno noticed that movement and raised her eyebrows curiously.

"Ah, but the boys were totally leering at us when we were wearing them, weren't they!" Miku suddenly recalled. "Naomi-chan, you have to be careful as well. As it turns out, all the boys are really big perverts!"

"Eh?!" Naomi exclaimed.

"You heard that right, every single one of them! You know, there was this one battle where the enemy spewed some really gross..."

A few paces behind, Zorome caught up with Shoichi and tapped him on the shoulder. "Oy."

Shoichi turned around and stopped. "Yes?"

"You gonna take that back or what?" Zorome demanded.

"Take what back?"

"Calling us stupid for having names, that's what!" He growled. "You've got a name for yourself now, haven't you? Still think they're pointless and silly?"

Shoichi scrunched his face up into an expression that seemed to say 'that's it?'

"You're still going on about that?" He deadpanned. "We're about to face down the enemy. Shouldn't you be concentrating on what's more important right now?"

This naturally angered Zorome further. "Aw, shut up!" He spat. "I don't care where you're from or what you've achieved, but here in this squad I'm the ace pilot, and you as a newbie don't get to talk back to me with that attitude!"

The other Parasites finally stopped and turned their attention to him. Miku groaned. "Oh c'mon, Zorome, drop it already-"

"No way!" Zorome roared. He jabbed a defiant finger at Shoichi, who was still nonplussed. "Listen well, you! Killing Klaxosaurs is a cakewalk for me, so don't tell me that I need to focus. We're the best damn squad out of all the Plantations, and we've been doing just fine for ourselves right up till this point, so we don't need no greenhorns stepping in to save our skins, you hear?! You guys are only going to get in the way, so I suggest you hang back where it's safe and watch the pros at work."

Naomi grimaced. those words may not have been directed at her, but they stung nonetheless.

"Hmph. Fine by me either way," Shoichi muttered, walking off. The others hesitantly followed suit. Miku, meanwhile, stomped over to give Zorome one of her usual dressing-downs, with Ichigo in tow.

"Don't mind him," Goro said to Shoichi as he caught up alongside. "He's always like that."

"There are many people just like him back in SOC. I'm already used to it, so don't worry about me," replied Shoichi. "In battle, those guys are usually the first to go anyway," He added darkly.

Goro laughed nervously. "Well, things are quite different here, so whatever it is we'd like to avoid that as much as possible..."

Naomi walked on ahead of all the others, distractedly. Her good cheer was gone, replaced by the same grim emotions that had been plaguing her the past. Emotions that she thought were gone for good now that she was back in Squad 13. Ever since the day she was sent away, she had become entire familiar with how it felt to be redundant. To be cast aside like an unwanted object. Those thoughts of uselessness had hung gravely over her every single day back in the hospital.

"Umm... Naomi?"

A male voice called out to her from behind, shattering her pensiveness.

She quickly composed herself. "Hiro," She answered plainly without looking back. "What is it?"

"I, umm... I'm, well, just, I'm really glad that you're okay."

"Mm. Thanks."

"And, uh..." Hiro scratched his head, finding the right words to say. "I suppose I ought to apologize to you about what happened before, since it was my fault that you were, you know..."

Naomi finally turned to face her former partner. "There's no need for that. I don't think you had intended for it to happen either, did you? Everything worked out fine in the end, so let's leave that incident to the past, shall we?"

In truth, she bore no ill will towards him. There was no point being antagonistic over what had happened between them. Though she did not take kindly to the things he had said to her before, and though she still held his general character in modest disdain, she knew that at some point in time, in his own way, he must have had shared in her misery as well.

"Yeah, you're right," Said Hiro falteringly, relief showing on his face. "I'm really glad you could join us again, Naomi. I mean it. I look forward to working with you once more."

Naomi nodded. "Likewise."

A head of long pink hair showed up behind Hiro all of a sudden, accompanied by a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his shoulders. Zero Two pounced enthusiastically on Hiro's back, catching him by surprise and almost toppling him.

"Zero Two!" Hiro yelped, flustered.

"So you're Naomi, huh?" Zero Two drawled, looking at her from over Hiro's shoulder. "Sorry, but I'll be taking over possession of your hand mirror from now on. It's a precious gift from my Darling, after all."

She nuzzled against Hiro's cheek affectionately, causing him to blush.

"Don't worry about it, I have a new set of belongings now. I did ask for my old stuff to be given away to everyone, anyway," replied Naomi, staring on at this bold display with slight disapproval.

Zero Two grinned toothily.

"More importantly, it's nice to see that you did manage to find a good partner in the end, Hiro," Naomi added detachedly, narrowing her eyes. "Though it seems like you two are getting along a little too well..."

"Hold on, Naomi, it's not exactly what you think-" Hiro began to protest, but Zero Two cut him off.

"That's right! We're the perfect ones for each other! If I recall correctly, you were the Pistil who couldn't connect with Darling in the end, right? That's only natural, since after all, I'm the only partner meant for Darling, and Darling is the only partner meant for me."

"Ah, I see," Naomi said neutrally. "I guess I shouldn't be feeling so bad about it, then."

She turned away and continued walking, leaving Hiro behind to continue fussing over Zero Two. Reassuring as it was to know that he was also doing well for himself, Hiro's circumstances no longer needed to matter to her. They each have their own separate partners now, and that was that. Naomi had only to focus on her own situation.

* * *

Standing on the gangway of the reserve hangar, Shoichi gazed upwards at the magnificent form towering before him and Naomi.

The presently featureless face of Melacothrix gazed back. Even when powered down, she occupied her dock steadfastly like an unshakable bulwark, bristling with thick armour plating. Her robust form shimmered in the sunbeams, coated by a thin coat of dust. Just beside her, Stout Embrace rested in its holding slot, immaculate and untarnished, ready for its first taste of combat. While she was the only FRANXX currently docked here, she was slated to join the others in the main hangar once the mission ended.

Standing beside Shoichi, Naomi was looking down at her right palm instead. Her left hand tightly gripped her wrist as the fingers on her right hand appeared to twitch involuntarily. She suppressed them by clenching a fist.

"Are you nervous?" Shoichi suddenly asked, eyes still peeled to the FRANXX. "It's not going to be like in the simulations."

Naomi was taken aback. It was unlike him to initiate any conversation of sort.

She quickly put her hands down. "I... Of course I'm nervous. This is going to be my very first actual battle, after all. There's no way I wouldn't be feeling scared at this point."

While she was thankful towards Shoichi for being able to synchronize perfectly with her, allowing them both to pass the harmonization trials without a hitch, his aloof nature set up a barrier between the both of them. They hardly spoke to one another when it was unnecessary. It did not bother her in any way, though. She felt no desire to get to know him better. All she needed out of him was the ability to operate their FRANXX as one.

In any case, she posed the same question back to him. "What about you? This is your first time entering combat as a Stamen. I imagine it's going to be very different from what you have gone through before."

Shoichi stared contemplatively at his feet. He was showing a lot more emotion than he ever did since they both first met.

"Yeah. I get nervous before every deployment. It's the same no matter what position you're in, no matter how or where you're fighting from. You never know what's going to happen."

He looked up at Malacothrix again. "But I'm relieved to be assigned to this FRANXX. She gives me a real sense of assurance. Inasmuch as we're piloting her, I feel like we'll easily be able to take on through whatever gets thrown at us. Plus, I've got my wits to back me up. Having experienced many battles, I know what it takes to survive. I always do whatever I can to come back home in one piece."

He gave Naomi a tiny, uncharacteristic smile. She had never seen that face on him before. "Since we're both in the same unit, you get to take advantage of that as well. In keeping myself alive, I'll make sure that you too will be safe.

"That's why, so long as you're with me, you don't have to be afraid."

Naomi did not know what to say. She was heartened, for sure, but since some time ago, she had already sensed that her partner's priorities were not quite aligned with hers. That suspicion had now been validated.

'You don't have to be afraid,' Shoichi had said. Indeed, she was not.

She was not afraid of dying.

She was here to prove her worth and validate her place in the squad. To come through with crucial contributions at the forefront and make the most out of her second chance at the only life she had ever known. To convince herself and everybody, once and for all, that she was not useless.

That was why Naomi was not afraid of dying at all.

She was only afraid that she was going to be held back.

 **A/N: Episode 24 of DitF came out not too long before I was done editing this chapter. It was nice to see Naomi in the series again, even though it was only in the last episode that she made her return. I included a change in the previous chapter to reflect her condition in canon.**


End file.
